


and the world was waking

by ozmissage



Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/M, Mystery, Sexual Content, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-07-18
Updated: 2012-07-18
Packaged: 2017-11-10 05:18:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/462607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ozmissage/pseuds/ozmissage
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?'</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	and the world was waking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [crickets](https://archiveofourown.org/users/crickets/gifts).



When Duke dreams, he dreams of her death, her blood, her voice, fading, but certain— _it’s okay, Duke, it’s okay_. He jolts awake with his sheets drenched in sweat and her hand on his chest, warm and so damn alive he could cry.

“It’s okay,” she says again. To prove her point she slides her hand up to his neck and drags him down to meet her lips; he kisses her greedily, sucking at her bottom lip. It’s a kiss meant to leave a mark, proof that she’s here in his bed and not six feet under.

She gets it. Of course she does. She’s the one who died.

*

“What do you think of Jo?” she asks.

Duke tugs down his cap and turns his back to the sun. It’s too bright today. Wishing for a storm when you’re in the middle of the ocean is a fool’s game, but there’s nothing Duke wouldn’t give for a good rain to break the heat. Well, almost nothing.

“She wasn’t bad. But Blair had better legs.”

She smacks his arm. “You know what I mean.”

They’ve been playing this game since they pulled out of Haven’s harbor. She’s been Laura, Rachel, Hannah, Grace and Sam. The names all sound false on his tongue, but she keeps trying them on for size, looking for the one that fits.

“Jo’s good. I like Audrey better though,” he tries to sound casual, but she bristles.

“I’m not Audrey, Duke. I never was.”

Duke doesn’t think that is exactly true, but he knows better than to say it. Instead he turns toward her, toward the sun, trapping her against the railing of the boat.

“Alright then, you wanna beer, Jo?”

“I’d love one,” she says, smiling.

*

The Troubles are over.

Maybe even for good this time.

They get emails from Nathan every month or so, they’re short and to the point: _nothing to report- N_. He doesn’t ask where they are, doesn’t ask if they’re okay. She tells him anyway because she knows he wants to know, he just doesn’t know how to ask. At least that’s what she keeps telling Duke.

But Duke has known Nathan his whole life, and he can tell when the guy is pissed. Duke can’t blame him. They made one hell of a mess and didn’t bother to stay and clean it up, they ran, they left him behind.

Audrey died in Nathan’s arms.

And Duke, he got whatever, _whoever_ , was left.

She sits on the bed, laptop propped against her knees as she types.

“I’m telling him about Shreveport,” she says absently. “He’ll like hearing about you getting your ass kicked in poker.”

Duke waits until she falls asleep to type his own message.

_I’m sorry- D_.

He doesn’t press send.

*

The waves lap at the side of the boat, rocking the old girl back and forth. Duke isn’t worried, she has weathered worse storms. Every flash of lightening illuminates the cabin and he keeps catching glimpses of her face as she moves against him, her body shaking as he jerks his hips upward to keep pace with her rhythm. Loose strands of blonde hair fall across her forehead and outside the thunder cracks.

When he comes he tries to say, _Audrey_ , but she swallows the sound with a kiss.

*

“Maybe I’m a time-traveler,” she says after. “Or I’m just really old. I could be immortal.  
That’s going to suck if it’s true.”

Duke runs a thumb across the smooth skin of her stomach. There should be a scar there.

“I don’t know about that. There are worse things than living forever.”

“Like what?”

He can still smell the bitter tang of blood on the air; still feel the gun warm in his hand.

“Dying.”

She closes her eyes and Duke feels alone suddenly, he nuzzles his face against her neck, relaxing when she wraps her arms around him.

“I’m never going to know, am I? Who I was?” she asks.

“Probably not. But you’re free and you’re here, so…I’m going to call that a win.”

“Because of you,” she rolls over so they are face to face, their bodies sliding together like it’s the most natural thing in the world. “I’m free because of what you did.”

“And you're here…”

“Because I want to be.”

*

They stop on the Carolina coast the next morning to buy supplies and refuel. She has her heart set on a trip to Canada and Duke’s not going all that way without a back stock of waffle-making supplies.

Somewhere around aisle five of the local Kwik-E-Mart, she slips her hand in his.

“You can call me Audrey.”


End file.
